A teenager has been left shocked after finding a bizarre greenish-brown “root-like” object in her toilet.
The girl took to Reddit for plumbing advice after her parents brushed off her strange discovery. Fellow social media users were quick to reassure her she was right to be concerned and told her to seek professional advice.
“PLEASE HELP!!! Weird thing in my toilet bowl,” she captioned the post.
She went on to explain: “Hello plumbers of Reddit! I (16F) really really need help on determining what this thing in my toilet bowl is.
READ MORE: Woman shares horror moment cat brings live mouse into home – but it gets worse
Click for more of the latest news from the Daily Star.
“Recently I’ve made a discovery where there’s this brown coloured stringy root-like thing sticking in my toilet bowl that won’t go away no matter how many times I flush it.”
She then shared two pictures of the unusual problem. “It looks like a bunch of string that just flows out which is a bit disgusting. I would like to know if it’s some kind of fungi or residue or anything of the sort.”
More experienced plumbers were quick to respond, suggesting it could in fact be some sort of plant invading her bathroom. “Tree roots or mushrooms,” one user suggested.
“Neither is great. How old is your house? Either way, this isn’t a non-issue. Your parents need to do something about it.”
A second person agreed: “Tree roots my first thought also. Is there a large tree directly adjacent to your house?
“How old is your house? If old enough, there may be cast iron plumbing pipes below the slab that have been disrupted and broken by tree roots. Or concrete slab settling has broken the pipes causing the tree roots to seek out the water source.”
Meanwhile a third chimed in: “Absolutely this [is roots]. The first place to start is to pull the toilet and see if the roots are coming from under the floor or within the sewer line. I’ve seen both happen before.” While a fourth simply stated: “It’s tree roots.”
Drain Flow Ltd explains tree and large shrub roots can “naturally extend sideways in search of moisture and nutrients within the soil”. They warn on their website: “This lateral growth often leads these roots into contact with drain and sewer pipes. When the pipes develop leaks, these opportunistic tree roots seize the chance to infiltrate.
“Once a root gains access and enlarges these existing cracks, it creates an ideal environment for swift expansion both around and inside the pipe. Over time, this unchecked growth can cause substantial damage to your drainage system.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.